Dispenser for ice cream cones



Feb. 2, 1965 J. H. BREAZEALE 3,168,214

DISPENSER FOR ICE CREAM CONES Filed Jan. 29, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

JAMES H. BzEAzaALe:

Feb- 2, 1965 J. H. BREAZEALE DISPENSER EoR ICE CREAM coNEs 2 Sheets-SheetI 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1962 S R Y V z R N o Im W United States Patent 3,168,214 DISPENSER FOR ICE CREAM CQNES James H. Breazeale, 1327 Valiant Drive, Fenton, Mo. Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,570 Caims. (Cl. 221-119) The invention relates to dispensers for ice cream cones and the like, and consists particularly in a device for dispensing cones of several different sizes.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dispenser for a large number of ice cream cones of different sizes in which cones of the desired size may be easily reached and from which they may easily be removed by the user.

It is a further object to provide an ice cream cone dispenser which is easily demountable from its fixed support to facilitate relling it.

An additional object is to provide an ice cream cone dispenser in which refilling involves only the dropping of tubes of cones into the dispenser and the dispensing is largely automatic, due to the action of gravity.

Other detailed objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a dispenser embodying the invention, partially sectionalized along line 1 1 oi FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view along line 3 3 of FIG. l, with the removable collar partially broken away.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view along line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional View along line 6 6 of FIG. 5, corresponding to the lower left hand portion of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a vertical cylindrical rod 1 preferably provided with a flanged collar 2 at its upper end for rigid attachment to a ceiling, provides a stationary support for the dispenser. l

The dispenser comprises a cylindrical magazine 4, the outer shell of which comprises Ya top wall 6, Fa cylindrical vertical wall 7, and a bottom wall 8. At their centers, top and bottom walls 6 and S are circularly apertured at their centers and are connected by a vertical tube 16, the ends ot' which are in registry with the apertures, axial movement of the tube relative to magazine 4 being prevented by collars 12 and 13 aiiixed, respectively, to the protruding extremities of the tube and abuttingly engaging, respectively, the upper and lower surfaces of top and bottom walls 6 and 8.

For rotatably mounting magazine 4 on rod 1, the latter is provided with collars 15 and 17 engaging, respectively, the upper and lower end portions of tube 1t), and thus providing bearing surfaces to accommodate rotation of the magazine on the rod. The lower rod collar 17 is formed with an inverted J -shaped slot 19 extending upwardly from the bottom, and a removable collar 21, provided with a Short inwardly directed radial boss 23 is held on the lower rod collar by the protrusion of boss 23 into the closed end of the short vertical leg of .Lshaped slot 19. The upper rim of collar 21 engages the lower collar 13 on tube 1d, thus retaining magazine 4 on support rod 1. Easy removal of magazine 4 is effected when desired by lifting collar 21 until boss 23 is aligned with the horizontal part of slot 19, rotating collar 21 counterclockwise until the boss is aligned with the long vertical leg of the J-shaped slot, then lowering collar 21 through the open lower end of slot 19, removing the collar, and permitting the magazine to slide downwardly until clear of the lower end of the support rod.

The magazine is provided with a plurality of circumferentially and radially spaced vertical tubes 25 of varying sizes extending between and secured to the top and bottom walls 6 and 8. Top wall 6 is circularly apertured in registry with each tube to permit the insertion into the tubes of nested stacks S of cones C. Bottom wall 8 is of laminated construction, comprising rigid top and bottom layers 27 and 28, both circularly apertured as at 30 in registry with tubes 25, and an intermediate sheet 32 of rubber or similar material. The portions of rubber sheet 32 exposed by circular apertures 30 are each provided with a plurality of substantially equiangularly spaced diametral slits 33 converging substantially at the center of the aperture; i.e., the exposed portions of the rubber sheet are slit along lines radiatingoutwardly from substantially the center of the apertures to the peripheries thereof, to form in each aperture a plurality of generally triangular or sector-shaped rubber flaps 34 so that the weight of the stack S of cones causes the point of t'ne bottom cone C to protrude through the flexible inner ends of flaps 34. The less flexible outer portions of flaps 34 engage the upper portions of the bottom cone, but are adapted to yield suiliciently, when a force substantially greater than the weight of the stack is applied to the bottom cone, eg., when a person pulls downwardly on the bottom cone, to permit removal of the bottom cone and its replacement by the cone immediately above it.

As a result of the disposition of tubes 25 radially and circumferentially of magazine 4, and the rotatable mounting of the magazine, an attendant in an ice cream parlor or the like provided with this dispenser can extract any size of cone he requires without changing his position. As a result of its great capacity, the frequency of refilling is minimized, but when required, refilling is facilitated by the removability of the magazine from its support.

Qperation of the dispenser is as follows: With the magazine dismounted from the ceiling supported rod 1, packaged stacks S of cones are dropped into tubes 25, the Weight of the stacks causing protrusion of the tip of the bottom cone of each through rubber flaps 34, the upper portion of the bottom cone being restrained against downward movement by the outer portions of aps 34. The magazine is then mounted on support rod 1 bysliding tube 10 upwardly on the rod until bottom tube collar 13 is a slight distance above the lgwer end of bottom rod collar 17. To retain the magazine on the support rod, removable collar 21 is positioned on the lower end of rod bottom collar 17 with boss 23 seated in the short vertical leg of slot 1 9. Cones are then selectively removed by rotating the magazine until the desired cone is near the attendant, grasping the tip pf the desired cone, and pulling it downwardly and out through flaps 34. Weight of the stack of cones will force each succeeding cone downwardly, as bottom cones are removed into the protruding position formerly occupied by the bottom. cones until Cone tubes 2S are empty. The magazine is then removed by first detaching removable Collar 21 from the bottom of the support rod, and sliding the magazine downwardly. It may then be conveniently lled as described above.

The details of the device may be modied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of such modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

l. A dispenser for ice cream cones comprising a vertical cylindrical element adapted for rigid mounting solely at its upper end and having its lower end free, a magazine rotatably journaled on said element and including a plurality oi vertical tubes adapted to receive stacks gf C911, Sad tubes having bottom. Closure Comprising a substantially horizontal sheet of rubber-.like materialfslit removal of lthe lowermost cone responsive to theV applica-V tion-of downward forces irl-excess ogravity-to said lowermost cone, and means removably secured to the lower end portion of said element and underlyingly supporting said magazine thereon.

2. Adispenser according'to claim 1 in which said magazine has .a bottom wall comprising a layer of rigid material and said sheet of rubber-like material, said rigid layer being( apertured in registry with said tubes and said aps being formed lin said apertures.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2 in which said magazine has a top wall apertured in registry with said tubes and a cylindrical verticalwail extendingbetween said top and bottom walls and With them forming a drum enclosing said tubes.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3 in which said stationary support comprises a cylindrical member supported solely atits upper end, said magazine being removable from the lower .end of Said cylindrical member.

5. A dispenser for ice cream cones comprising a stationary cylindrical support member supported solely at its upper end, a magazine rotatably journaied on said support and including a plurality of vertical tubes adapted to receive stacks of cones, each of said tubes having a bottom closure comprising a plurality of tiaps of yieldable resilient material adapted to permit the tip of the lowermost cone to protrude from the lower end of the tube responsive to the weight-0f cones in the tube and to permit removal of the lowerrnost cone responsive to the application of downward forces in excess of gravity to said lowermost cone, said magazine being removable from the lower end of said cylindrical support member, the lower end of said cylindrical member being formed with an inverted J-shaped slot' with its longer vertical leg open at the bottom, there being a collar onthe lower end of said cylindrical member and underlying the bottom of said magazine to hold the latter on said cylindrical member, said collar having an internal boss seated in the short vertical leg of said slot, and being translatable and rotatable to permit inserting of said boss and removal ofthe collar to permit removal of said magazine from said cylindrical member.

References Cited in the file of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 6, 

1. A DISPENSER FOR ICR CREAM CONES COMPRISING A VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT ADAPTED FOR RIGID MOUNTING SOLELY AT ITS UPPER END AND HAVING ITS LOWER END FREE, A MAGAZINE ROTATABLY JOURNALED ON SAID ELEMENT AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL TUBES ADAPTED TO RECEIVE STACKS OF CONES, SAID TUBES HAVING BOTTOM CLOSURE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SHEET OF RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL SLIT ALONG A PLURALITY OF LINES RADIATING FROM SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER OF EACH TUBE TO FORM CONVERGING FLAPS OF GENERALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPE ADAPTED TO PERMIT THE TIP OF THE LOWERMOST CONE TO PROTRUDE FROM THE LOWER END OF THE TUBE RESPONSIVE TO THE WEIGHT OF CONES IN THE TUBE AND TO PERMIT REMOVAL OF THE LOWERMOST CONE RESPONSIVE TO THE APPLICATION OF DOWNWARDLY FORCES IN EXCESS OF GRAVITY TO SAID LOWERMOST CONE, AND MEANS REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID ELEMENT AND UNDERLYINGLY SUPPORTING AND MAGAZINE THEREON. 